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How is the inheritance distributed among the deceased's male heirs (grandson's son, father, maternal half-brother) and the deceased's female heirs (wife)?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

If the deceased left no heirs except his father, his wife, his great-grandson (son of the son of the son), and a maternal brother (brother from the mother's side), then the inheritance is distributed as follows:

The father receives one-sixth due to the presence of a descendant heir (al-far' al-warith). The wife receives one-eighth due to the presence of a descendant heir. The remainder goes to the great-grandson (son of the son of the son) by 'asabah (residuary heirship). The maternal brother (brother from the mother's side) receives nothing because he is excluded by the presence of a descendant heir and an ascendant heir (al-asl al-warith).

Thus, the inheritance is divided into twenty-four shares: The father receives four shares. The wife receives three shares. The great-grandson (son of the son of the son) receives seventeen shares.

It must be noted that matters of inheritance are serious and complex, and it is not sufficient to rely merely on a fatwa. Rather, such matters must be brought before Sharia courts for investigation to uncover any hidden wills, debts, or rights that may take precedence over the heirs' entitlement.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

Read the full answer on Ftawy